Dozens of friends and family cheered from the public gallery as Judge Christine Henson, QC, told him he was free to go. During the trial, jurors heard a glowing tribute to Mr Price from stepdaughter Katie, 38.

In a statement she said: “He is always supportive in all situations and always puts us family first.

“Although he is not my biological dad, he took me and my brother on from a young age and I regard him as my dad. I know he is there for me for everything.

“In fact you can’t keep people away – he is a people person.” Katie Price did not attend court as she feared her presence would spark a “media circus”.

His case will be seen by legal experts as adding weight to calls for legislation to give sex crime suspects the same anonymity as complainants.

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Katie did not attend court as she believed it would cause a 'media circus'

Many senior legal figures believe the measure is necessary to create a “level playing field” between accused and accuser.

But others fear it would infringe too far on the basic principle of open justice.

Questioned by Ms Penny, the woman denied being an attention seeker who planned to sell her story.

She sobbed as she said: “I didn’t put up a fight. I thought the best and safest thing was to get home to my husband.”

She also accused Mr Price of being a “sex addict” – an allegation he dismissed as “totally untrue”.THE stepfather of glamour model Katie Price walked free yesterday after he was cleared of raping a woman friend.